Leg exercising device



Sept. 13, 1960 M. R. MOFFITT LEG EXERCISING DEVICE Filed April 13, 1959 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 13, 19 60 LEG EXERCISING DEVICE Morris R. Motiitt, 625 S. Poplar, Wichita 16, Kans.

Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 805,746

6 Claims. (Cl. 27257) This invention relates to a device adapted to be worn on the leg while walking, running or otherwise exercising the leg, for developing the leg muscles.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a supporting structure adapted to be strapped to the leg, below the knee, and on which weights aresupported.

A further object of the invention is to provide an exercising device wherein the weights are supported in a balanced manner by the supporting structure on opposite sides of the leg.

A further object of the invention is to provide a leg exercising device wherein the weight supporting parts are so constructed that the device can be worn comfortably upon the leg.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the leg exercising device in an applied position;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross sectional views of the leg exercising device, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 2-2, 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Figure 1, and on enlarged scales, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the leg exercising device in its entirety is designated generally 7 and includes two corresponding elongated and substantially rigid bars 8 and 9.

A relatively wide strip of nonelastic material, such as soft leather, as seen at 10, is connected to corresponding ends of the bars 8 and 9 by rivets 11 which are spaced from the ends of the leather strip 10 and also from the longitudinal edges thereof. A flexible strap 12 has a portion disposed around the leather strip 10, and parts of the strap 12 extend between the bars 8 and 9 and the leather strip 10. The rivets 11 extend through said last mentioned strap portions for connecting the strap to the bars and to the strip 10. The strap 12 has a conventional buckle 13 at one end thereof which is located adjacent the bar 8 and adjacent one end of the leather piece 10. Washers 13' are mounted on the rivets 11 between the bars 8 and 9 and the strap 12 to provide a sufiicient looseness so that the leather piece 10 and strap 12 may pivot on the rivets 11 relative to the bars 8 and 9, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. The strap 12 and bars 8 and 9 are disposed on the outer side of the leather piece 10, as seen in Figure 4, and the inner side of said leather piece is lined with a relatively thick strip of cushioning material 14, such as sponge rubber, which may be secured to the leather piece 10 in any suitable manner as by an adhesive 15. The strip 14 has unsecured ends 16 which extend beyond the ends of the piece 10 and one of which is disposed on the inner side of the buckle 13. The cushioning strip 14 has a bottom edge portion 17 which extends below the bottom edge portion 18 of the leather piece 10, which is located below the strap 12, as seen in Figure 1. Spaced portions of a nonelastic flexible strap 19 are secured by rivets 20 to the inner sides of the upper ends of the bars 8 and 9, as best seen in Figure 2, and a relatively thick strip of a cushioning material 21, such as sponge rubber, is secured as by an adhesive 15 to the inner side of a substantial portion of the strap 19, including the continuous part thereof extending between the rivets 20. One end of the strap 19 is provided with a buckle 22 of a conventional type, which is located adjacent the bar 8 and beneath which an unsecured end 23 of the cushioning strip 21 is disposed.

Each bar 8 and 9 is adapted to support at least one weight. A weight 24 is shown mounted on the bar 8 and a weight 25 is mounted on the bar 9. Said weights are identical in construction so that a description of one vw'll sulfice for both. Each of the weights is horizontally elongated and has an inner side 26 which is concavely bowed longitudinally thereof. The inner side of each weight is recessed intermediate of its ends to provide a groove 27 which extends from top to bottom therethrough and which has a restricted open outer side 28 opening through the concave side 26. A strip of cushioning material 29, such as sponge rubber, is secured by an adhesive 15 to each end of the inner side 26, with the groove mouth 28 being exposed between the adjacent ends of said cushioning members.

The weights 24 and 25 are applied over the upper ends of the bars 8 and 9, respectively, by pinching and pulling the strap 19 at the rivets 20 and away from said bars 8 and 9 so that the side edges of the upper ends of the bars will be exposed to be received in the grooves 27, and so that the inner ends of the rivets 20 and the portion of the strap 19, disposed therearound, can be accommodated in the mouths 28 of the grooves as the weights are slid downwardly on the bars 8 and 9. The restricted mouths 28 of the grooves 27 will prevent the Weights 24 and 25 from being removed laterally from the bars 8 and 9. Each of the bars 8 and 9, above and adjacent the upper edge of the leather piece 10, has an outwardly bowed portion 30, as best seen in Figure 5, providing an abutment for the bottom edge of the weight mounted on said bar, for supporting the weights at the level as shown in Figure 1, relative to the upper and lower ends of the bars. It will be understood that one or more weights 24 or 25 can be mounted on each bar 8 and 9 and that weights of different sizes may be utilized.

In applying the leg exercising device, the leather piece 10 is disposed across the front of the ankle as illustrated in Figure 1, so that its bottom portion 18 and the lower portion 17 of the cushion 14 will be flared outwardly to rest comfortably on the instep. The cushioning strip 14 Will extend across the front of the ankle and along the sides thereof under the leather piece 10 to provide a oom fortable fit. The free end of the strap 12 extends around the back of the ankle and is secured to the buckle 13- to provide a relatively snug fit. The upper strap 19 is fastened around the calf of the leg and adjust-ably secured by the buckle 22 to likewise provide a resonably snug but not a tight fit. The cushioning strip 21 is of a sufiicient width to extend both above and below the strap 19 so that no discomfort will be caused by the strap. The bars 8 and 9 will thus be disposed at the two sides of the leg to support the weights 24 and 25 at the sides of the leg, above the ankle but below the calf of the leg, so that the weights will not press tightly against the inner and outer sides of the leg. The cushioning strips 29' preferably extend to above the upper edges of the weights 24 and 25 since the leg 21 is normally somewhat larger at the upper edges of the weights than at the lower edges thereof.

It may be assumed that the leg 31 is the right leg and -that Figure 1 is looking toward the inner side thereof, so 1 that the buckles 13 and 22 are disposed at the inner side of the leg. If preferred, the leg exercising device 7 can be mounted on the other, left leg, not shown, in which case the buckles 13 and 22 would be disposed on the T outer side of the leg. The exercising device 7 has a sufficiently snug fitting engagement so that it maybe conveniently disposed under a trousers leg and concealed thereby.

The pivotal mounting of the leather piece 10, strap 12 and cushioning strip 14 relative to the bars 8 and 9 by the rivets 11, enables said parts to pivot freely as the foot 32 is moved up and down relative to the leg 31 and it will be noted that the pivot points provided by said rivets 11 are approximately in alignment with the ankle joint. Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, a weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner portions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidably mounting the weights thereon, and said bars having outwardly ofiset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and instep engaging means and providing abutments for sup-porting the weights between and spaced from said bar ends.

2. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, a

weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner portions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidably mounting the weights thereon, said bars having outwardly offset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and instep engaging means and providing abutments for supporting the weights between and spaced from said bar ends, and cushioning strips secured to the inner sides of said weights, said grooves opening through said inner sides of the weights between the cushioning strips thereof.

3. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, a weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner por tions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidably mounting the weights thereon, and said bars having outwardly offset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and i I 4 ends, said upper leg engaging means comprising a strap provided with a buckle and having a cushioning strip lining a substantial portion of the inner side of the strap and including a part disposed beneath said buckle.

4. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, a weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner portions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidably mounting the weights thereon, said bars having outwardly olfset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and instep engaging means and providing abutments for supporting the weights between and spaced from said bar ends, said lower ankle and instep engaging means comprising a flexible strap provided with a buckle, a soft leather strip disposed on the inner side of a portion of said strap and engaging across the front of the ankle and having end portions disposed beneath the lower ends of said bars, and a thick cushioning strip secured to the inner side of said leather strip and extending to beyond the ends thereof and having a part disposed beneath the strap buckle.

5. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, 2. weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner portions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidably mounting the weights thereon, said bars having outwardly olfset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and instep engaging means and providing abutments for supporting the weights between and spaced from said bar ends, said lower ankle and instep engaging means comprising a flexible strap provided with a buckle, a soft leather strip disposed on the inner side of a portion of said strap and engaging across the front of the ankle and having end portions disposed beneath the lower ends of said bars, a thick cushioning strip seoured to the inner side of said leather strip and extending to beyond the ends thereof and having a part disposed beneath the strap buckle, and rivets pivotally connecting said strap and leather strip to the lower ends of said bars.

6. A leg exercising device comprising a pair of rigid metal bars, a lower ankle and instep engaging means connected to lower ends of said bars and resting on the instep and embracing the ankle, an upper leg engaging means connected to the upper ends of said bars and engaging around the leg below and adjacent the knee for supporting the bars on the inner and outer sides of the leg, a weight detachably mounted on each bar, and said weights having concave inner sides provided with inwardly opening grooves, said grooves having inner portions of greater width than the remainder of the grooves for slidably receiving said bars for slidabLy mounting the weights thereon, said bars having outwardly ofiset portions located above and adjacent said lower ankle and instep engaging means and providing abutments for supporting the weights between and spaced from said bar ends, said lower ankle and instep engaging means comprising a flexible strap provided with a .buckle, a soft leather strip disposed on the inner side of a portion of said strap and engaging across the front of the ankle and having end portions disposed beneath the lower ends of said bars, and a thick cushioning strip secured to the inner side of said leather strip and extending to beyond the ends thereof and having a part disposed beneath the strap buckle, said leather strip having a bottom edge portion extending to below the strap, said cushioning strip having a bottom edge portion extending below the bottom edge portion of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Waller May 13, 1941 Rainey Apr. 28, 1959 

